Last Days of Autumn Brewing | Mexican Stout
According to my phone it’s 84 degrees. I sit in a rocking chair on the front porch of my parents house just north of Chattanooga. A lawnmower drones on in the distance, birds frolic and fight around the feeders about 20 feet to my right and just over the railing I see the lake. Less than 24 hours ago I was fortunate enough to hang out with Mike and Tracy Frede at Last Days of Autumn Brewing. While I’ve always known their 15 taps to contain a wide variety, imagine my surprise to see their Mexican Stout on tap and also to discover, they do growler fills. Why didn’t I know that?! So if you get nothing else out of this post; Last Days of Autumn does growler fills!
Being the attentive husband that I claim to be, and as the Mrs doesn’t understand why anyone would choose any beer other than a stout, Mike hooked me up with a 32oz fill of the Mexican Stout. Let’s check it out.
Visually this beer pours black, as it should, with a wonderful tan-to-brown head that lingers for quite some time before retreating to the edge of the glass. On the nose I am immediately greeted with cinnamon, a little pepper, some subtle spicy notes and a slight sweetness that melds all of these aromas together in a vibrant symphony. On the tongue, the symphony plays on as cinnamon announces the arrival of chocolate, perhaps a touch of vanilla and while the peppers are certainly in this orchestra, their notes are low-to-mild which fits perfectly with the other players. The body is moderate and coats the palate very well while the cinnamon and spicy notes linger softly at the back of my tongue while I find my chest ever so slightly warmed.
Final snobs: while this isn’t the best warm weather beer I could’ve chosen, it is wonderful nonetheless and I am thoroughly glad to be enjoying it on such a beautiful day. With beers that contain so many complex and strong flavors, it’s important that they play well together and that one flavor doesn’t dominate over the others. This beer checks all the boxes. It’s currently on tap at the brewery so go check it out and don’t forget, bring a growler!
Oh, and the Mrs approves.
Prost!